


The Fuel Conservation Committee

by A_Modern_Girl



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Just the crew hanging out, Not Canon Compliant, Season 5 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-22 17:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21305762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Modern_Girl/pseuds/A_Modern_Girl
Summary: One possible version of how the crew found out about J/C. Super fluffy, not canon compliant in any way.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 12
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I've ever posted! No beta, mistakes are mine.

Lieutenant Tom Paris was sitting in his favorite chair at his favorite table in the mess hall, on his favorite day of the week.. He had never been one for routine. Usually, once things started to get regular, it was time to move on. But _Voyager_ was the biggest adventure he would ever have, and a little touch of the mundane never hurt anyone.

He had just finished his shift, and any minute B'Elanna would walk through the doors to join him. From that moment, they would have 36 hours off duty together. Tom took it as a sign of Chakotay's approval that the schedule had worked out that way for almost four months straight. He wasn’t sure if it had any effect, but he tried to stay on the commander’s good side when he could.

Tom looked up when the doors opened, and was so certain it would be B'Elanna coming through them that he flashed his brightest smile. It crumpled quickly when he saw that the gold uniformed figure was Harry Kim instead.

"What are you so happy about?" Harry asked jovially as he took a seat across from him.

Tom felt a flush on his cheeks as he replied, "Just waiting for B'Elanna."

He then inspected his friend more carefully.

"What are you so happy about?" He countered.

Harry was so excited about something he was practically jumping out of his seat. He squirmed and quickly looked around for eavesdroppers. Tom didn't bother to get his hopes up. They had been in space for over four years, but sometimes Harry was still the greenest ensign in the fleet.

"I'm thinking about calling a committee meeting," Harry whispered conspiratorially.

It took Tom a while to process this strange proclamation. When the words finally clicked, he shook his head. Harry, the greenest ensign in the fleet, and it's most optimistic. Before he could reply, two female figures approached the table.

"Do you mind if Seven joins us for dinner?" B'Elanna asked, "We just finished a tricky constrictor realignment and I thought we could celebrate together."

Tom smiled and quickly offered the seat next to Harry to Seven, and B'Elanna sat next to him. Giving the former Borg social lessons was not his favorite pastime, but he was proud of B'Elanna for taking the initiative. He hoped it meant things were cooling off between them. Harry, on the other hand, was still so worked up he hadn't noticed that his former crush was mere inches away.

"What's up with you?" B'Elanna asked him.

He told her excitedly that he wanted to call a committee meeting. B'Elanna groaned.

"Not that again. Does anyone even care anymore?"

"Hey Maquis, just because you blew your shot-" Harry started.

Tom was already reaching for B'Elanna's shoulder and the right words to calm her down when, for once, Seven had perfect timing.

"What is this committee of which you speak?" She asked, with enough genuine confusion to make it sound less like a demand.

"Tom should explain it," Harry said brightly, "it was his idea."

Tom waved him on, indicating that Harry should do it. Harry was so excited, he launched into the story without any additional encouragement. Tom knew the story well, including all its embellishments, so he only listened with half an ear while he rubbed B'Elanna's shoulder.

The story went something like this. Tom had noticed a certain kind of repartee between his captain and her new first officer within a few weeks of the start of their journey. He had kept his thoughts to himself, until the captain made a memorable crack about "mating behavior" on the bridge. After that, he began discussing his observations quietly with his more seasoned Voyager friends. Surely, the captain and the commander would get together at some point. Clearly, a betting pool was in order to predict such an event.

But how could the betting pool work? It was unlikely there would be tangible evidence, or a confession from the parties of interest. Tom, after a flurry of research, thought he had the solution.

As usual, bets would be taken on when the couple would get together, if the bet was right, that person would receive half the winnings. The other half would go to whoever presented the evidence at that time. Any member of the committee could call for a meeting if they witnessed some speech or activity which seemed to indicate that a relationship existed. Then, the group would vote to determine if the evidence was strong enough to treat as fact. A two thirds majority was needed, and as yet had never been reached. The catch was that once a member called a meeting, they lost the privilege, permanently. So it behooved the committee members to be as certain as possible.

In the beginning, discoveries were plenty, and the group met often. To cover up their true intent, they needed a name that wouldn't attract attention. Tom thought the Fuel Conservation Committee was as good a name as any. Surprisingly, it stuck.

"Why did you call it that?" Seven asked.

"Well when Voyager first got stranded resources were a lot more scarce, so fuel conservation was a real issue," B'Elanna said.

"And well, if they were together, they'd probably need one set of quarters, less coffee rations…" Tom coughed to a halt as B'Elanna kicked him under the table.

"I see," Seven said in a tone that clearly indicated she did not, "so how will you proceed?"

"Tuvok has to approve - he’s the only one who can set a meeting," Harry said.

“Not you?” Seven asked Tom, eyebrow raised.

“Better to have someone independent,” Tom shrugged, “and he volunteered.”

That had been an awkward conversation Tom wished he could forget. Apparently, someone had mentioned the committee in hearing range of the Vulcan. Tuvok confronted him, insisting that either he be included as the chair of the committee, or he would personally tell the captain. It was an easy choice, and to his credit, Tuvok had done an admirable job so far.

"He's right over there, let's see what he thinks," B'Elanna said as she started to rise from the table.

Tom stood up too, but noticed that Seven hadn't moved.

"If you want to hear what Harry found, you should come too," he suggested, "but first, you have to join the committee."

"What does that require?" Seven asked.

Tom shrugged, "Just promise not to tell the captain or the commander. That's it."

Seven contemplated this for a moment, and then nodded, "I promise."

They hustled over the join the group just as Harry was embarking on his story. Earlier that day, Voyager had passed through an ion storm which overloaded several circuits on the bridge. Tom and Tuvok both nodded in recognition - it had been the most exciting event all week. Tom had been fighting to regain control of the helm and Tuvok was checking on the status of the weapons systems, and therefore had missed what Harry had seen.

The captain and the commander personally repaired the sub-processor next to the science station. It was close to the floor, so they were both on their knees. While Janeway was using the hyper spanner, her hand was resting on Chakotay's knee.

"Big deal," B'Elanna interrupted, "that happens all the time. I bet when she noticed, she pulled her hand away and laughed awkwardly."

"That's the thing," Harry replied, "when they were done she just squeezed his leg, smiled, and got up."

"Huh," B'Elanna said.

"Huh," Tom parroted.

The group paused for a minute, then looked at Tuvok in unison.

"It is intriguing," he admitted, "but not compelling."

Everyone except Seven sighed with disappointment, and moved to go. Tuvok held up a hand to pause the exodus.

"If you can find something else in the next week, we'll hold the meeting, and you will receive the credit. Otherwise, the matter is closed," he finished.

"That's a little unusual, isn't it Tuvok?" Tom asked.

It wasn't quite in line with the rules he had originally spelled out, but it had been several years. He looked around at the others. Harry already seemed to be working on the problem of finding his additional evidence. B'Elanna and Seven looked as puzzled as he felt. Seven maybe moreso.

"Like I said, I am intrigued," Tuvok replied, "unless you would like to drop the matter now…"

"No, no, this is fine," Harry said quickly, shooting Tom a dirty look.

"Should be fun," Tom said, still not convinced, "Thanks Tuvok."

This time Tom moved off with the group, listening to Harry strategize, and didn't notice that was Seven left behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love so far! Should be able to post a chapter a day from here on out. Thanks for reading!

Seven remained in her seat across from Tuvok. He had returned to reading his padd when the others left, and didn't acknowledge her. She supposed this was meant as a dismissal, but she was patient. She had only exhausted one third of the time she was willing to wait when Tuvok looked up.

"Can I help you, Seven?" He asked, as if they hadn't been speaking minutes earlier.

"I would like to know why you are involved in what is effectively a criminal enterprise," she replied.

"Gambling and gossip may be against regulations, but it is hardly a criminal enterprise," he said, "and it seems, you are involved in it now, too."

"I am observing human behavior," she replied defensively, "You have been able to observe humans for decades, so I assume that can't be your intent."

"On the contrary," he said, as if lecturing a wayward student, "as chief of security, I must observe the crew carefully for any abnormalities that may pose a security risk."

"I see," Seven said.

She had not considered that Tuvok would have a legitimate reason for participating in Paris's game. He seemed to take this as a victory, and rose to leave. Seven realized she had one more question.

"Do you think I should participate?" she asked, just as they reached the doors of the mess hall.

"It is your decision," he answered, "you must decide if it is compatible with your internal ethics."

"I see," Seven repeated again.

"However, if you do choose to remain, I think you will find gossip to be a very novel and efficient form of communication," Tuvok said.

"How so?"

"Many say it travels faster than light."

***

The next day she reported to the Doctor for her weekly examination. The Doctor was efficient as usual, and she was operating within expected parameters.

“Anything else you would like to discuss today?” The Doctor asked.

“Actually,” she said, pausing to consider again if she wanted his advice, “I’ve been invited to join a … committee.”

“The Fuel Conservation Committee?” the Doctor asked excitedly, just as the doors opened.

Neelix strode in, carrying plants from the hydroponics bay.

“Has the committee started back up again?” he asked the Doctor, setting the plants on a nearby biobed.

Seven was surprised that both the Doctor and Neelix were fully aware of the committee, even though she had just found out about it. Apparently, she was not as in tune with the happenings on Voyager as she thought she was.

“I have been invited to participate,” she said, “They may be holding a meeting next week. Will you two be there?”

“Oh no,” the Doctor replied. “My participation could be seen as violating doctor-patient confidentiality.”

Seven turned to Neelix, who also shook his head.

“I never had the stomach for it,” he said, “Oh it’s mostly harmless, but I just never liked the idea of people spying on the captain and the commander all the time.”

“Oh,” Seven replied.

Neelix's analysis made her feel guilty for agreeing to Tom’s invitation so quickly. Just as she was evaluating possible avenues of resigning from the committee, the Doctor spoke up again.

“Secret societies are a time-honored human tradition. I think you should attend the meeting and participate. Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are in the wrong jobs if they can’t handle a little gossip.”

Seven gave her best imitation of a human shrug.

“If I go, would you like me to tell you the results?” she asked.

“Yes please,” both men replied in unison.

Seven nodded, now certain that she would attend, and left the sickbay.


	3. Chapter 3

Tom was back in his favorite spot, on his favorite day of the week. He looked out at the stars sliding by at warp, and sighed happily. Maybe he could be a routine guy after all. Even Harry's terrible mood couldn’t dampen his general feeling of contentment.

Harry had enlisted anyone who would listen to look for signs that the captain and Chakotay were in a relationship. Reports trickled in, but the evidence was weak and often contradictory. Ensign Pel swore she saw them holding hands in the turbolift at the same time Megan Delaney saw them chatting cozily in the mess hall. Tom had to admit, it was looking pretty bad for Harry. He himself hadn't even overhead any interesting tidbits from the helm.

"C'mon Harry, lighten up," he said, "if the meeting isn't called, it doesn't even count as your shot. You can try again."

Harry sighed and shook his head, "I know, but I really thought I had it this time."

Before Tom could reply with more consolation, B'Elanna and Seven hurried over to the table. Both women looked a bit flustered, and they immediately sat down.

"Seven has something you should hear, Harry," B'Elanna said in a low voice.

Harry sighed again, "What is it now?"

B'Elanna reached across the table and punched him in the arm, "Listen, you oaf, she's trying to help."

"I'm listening, I'm listening!" Harry said, finally looking up.

He nodded at Seven, and she started her tale. She and Commander Chakotay had been tasked with exploring a stellar nursery two light years away in the Delta Flyer. Preparing for the radiation they would find there required several adjustments. Seven was sealing microfissures in the hull, while Chakotay upgraded the EPS conduits in the cabin. Tom bristled at the implication that the microfissures were his fault, but he didn't interrupt. Seven trailed off, as if unsure how to proceed with the story.

"The captain and I were tuning the new conduits together in engineering, and she offered to bring them to the shuttle bay," B'Elanna added, "I didn't think anything of it at the time, just maybe that she was headed that way anyway. But then Seven heard…"

Seven looked as if she would have been perfectly happy to let B'Elanna tell the rest herself. She glanced at Tom, who nodded and tried to smile reassuringly. Meanwhile, a tension was starting to form in his gut. Was this the real thing? Something in his smile must have done the trick, because Seven started again.

The captain had arrived in the shuttle bay and greeted Seven briefly. Seven observed that she seemed to be in a good mood, which was not surprising given the scientific nature of the mission. Captain Janeway went into the cabin to deliver the conduits to Commander Chakotay.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Seven insisted, "Many members of the crew forget that my Borg implants give me much more acute hearing than the average humanoid, and because of this, I heard how the captain greeted the commander."

She paused again and looked around nervously.

"Tell us what you heard," Tom encouraged.

Tom glanced at B'Elanna, who was so excited she could barely contain herself. He was worried that if Seven didn't spit it out soon, B'Elanna would beat it out of her.

"Captain Janeway, upon entering the cabin, said, 'Hey sweetheart.' No one else was present in the shuttle bay at the time so I have to conclude she was addressing Commander Chakotay."

"Hey sweetheart…" Tom repeated.

Harry let out a whoop which drew glances from the other tables. Tom shot him a warning look.

"Can you confirm it?" Harry asked, "Can we pull the recordings from your implants?"

If anything, Seven looked even more uncomfortable than before.

"It would be an invasive procedure," she said, "but the Doctor-"

"There's no need," Tom said, kicking Harry under the table. "We believe you."

Seven finally relaxed a little. 

"Come on, let's go find Tuvok," B'Elanna said, rising from her seat. "If he doesn't find this compelling, he's out of his Vulcan mind."


	4. Chapter 4

Seven sat anxiously in her seat. Cargo Bay One had been hastily converted into a council chamber, with some chairs and some cargo bins for seating. Harry had agreed to share her evidence anonymously, but she still felt like she had contributed to something she didn't fully understand. And what did ‘sweetheart’ mean, anyway? Certainly she remembered hearing the word as a child, but always in a familial context. Could she have grossly misinterpreted what she had heard?

Tom had reassured her that, as long as the words were accurate, it was what they were looking for. She acknowledged his kindness in including her, and he smiled in return. There was so much more she wanted to ask him, but she had let the matter drop. She suspected this was one of those human things which could not be explained. Maybe the captain could have, but, for obvious reasons, she was not consulted. Before she knew it, all the seats in the room were full. The low, polite chatter died away when Tuvok rose to speak.

"I hereby call this meeting of the Fuel Conservation Committee to order," he said, "Ensign Kim will present the evidence."

Harry rose and rubbed his hands together, and smiled at the group. Seven sat up a little straighter and gave him her full attention. It was a big moment for her, no matter how it worked out. 

Her focus was so intent that she barely registered the hiss of the doors opening behind her. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped. He stood, staring slack jawed at whomever had entered the room. Seven watched with fascination as all the color drained from his face, before she finally turned to see who it was.

She felt a curious sensation, a mix of social anxiety and panic, when she discovered it was Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay.

"Captain on deck!" Harry called.

For once, Seven rose and snapped to attention with the others.

"At ease, and take your seats," the captain said, calmly.

Seven sat, but her eyes were glued to the captain and commander. What could they possibly be doing here? They looked as calm and assured as ever, as though crashing secret crew meetings were a regular occurrence. The captain stood in the center of the room, hands on hips, wearing an inscrutable smile. Commander Chakotay stood behind her and to the left, out of the limelight, but clearly in support of whatever was about to happen next. Seven looked around the room and noted the rest of the crew looked as nervous as she felt.

Finally, the captain spoke, "Firstly, we want you to know you're not in any trouble. Groups like this exist all over the fleet, and the commander and I have been members of our fair share."

Seven noticed a few shoulders started to relax, but it still felt like the room was holding its collective breath.

Chakotay spoke up next, "Second, we've known about this group for a long while through our own methods. We won't tolerate any search for a mole or an informant."

"How?" B'Elanna blurted.

"Seska," Chakotay replied simply.

"That snake," B'Elanna muttered, and a few timid chuckles bounced around the room.

Seven felt some of the eyes that had drifted toward her slip away. She was an obvious choice for the mole, and she was grateful for the commander for removing any suspicion around her participation. But why were they here, if they had known about it all along?

"Now, you're all here to determine if the commander and I have entered into a personal relationship," Janeway paused and smiled at Chakotay, "We're here to announce that we have."

Gasps and other happy noises filled the room. Seven winced at a couple girlish squeaks, and filed them away for later analysis. She would decide later if she wanted to incorporate them into her own database of possible reactions, but for now there were more important matters at hand. 

"We realize this isn't exactly Starfleet protocol,” Chakotay said, “but none of this changes the fact that the safety and well-being of this crew are our first priority."

The captain spoke next, "Our commitment to get home has never been stronger, but we believe that it is a goal we can achieve… together."

Janeway turned to look up at Chakotay and smiled. Seven felt that she was observing something private, and tried to look away - but found she was transfixed. 

After a beat, the captain continued, "If you do have any concerns, you can always bring them to the commander or me. Or, if you are not comfortable doing so, talk to Tuvok, who I can't say I expected to see here today."

A small chuckle floated through the room. Tuvok merely raised an eyebrow. Seven’s eyes narrowed. Tuvok looked as calm as always - almost as if he had been expecting the interruption. Could it be that he had been warned in advance, or was his emotional control so strong that he was unflustered by the turn of events?

"There will be no additional announcements on this topic, nothing over the ship's comm." Chakotay said, "so we're counting on you, the committee, to disseminate this information as quickly and clearly as possible. Understood?"

A chorus of 'yes sirs' filled the room. The captain and commander gave a nod, and turned to leave. Seven felt her muscles start to relax at the prospect that the whole awkward ordeal would be over soon.

"Uh, captain?" Tom asked, "did you want to be more specific about, er, timing? It might affect the winner."

Seven watched everyone's relief turn to horror. B'Elanna in particular looked ready to murder Tom. The captain gave him a quizzical look, then rolled her eyes to toward Chakotay. They consulted silently for a moment.

"No," she replied firmly but with a smile, "no we do not."

Before Tom could say anything else ridiculous, they left the room. B’Elanna landed a brutal punch on Paris’s arm.

“Hey, this means I won!” Ayala called out, “Me and Harry, I mean. Drinks on me! Let’s get to the mess hall!”

Everyone rushed out of the cargo bay - happy to get out of the enclosed space and away from the scene of the crime, Seven deduced. She waited for the bulk of the crowd to leave, then exited herself. To her surprise, both Tom and Tuvok were waiting for her in the hall. She raised an inquiring eyebrow at both of them.

“I just wanted to make sure you were invited to join us in the mess hall,” Tom said, “After all, this wouldn’t have come together without you.”

“That is very kind, but the survey mission starts at 0600 tomorrow,” Seven replied.

“The captain wanted me to tell you to go join the festivities,” Tuvok added, “She will join Commander Chakotay for the stellar nursery survey tomorrow, and your presence won’t be required.”

“There you go then,” Tom said, rubbing his arm where B'Elanna's punch had landed.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Seven said, fixing her gaze on Tuvok.

Tom nodded and beat a retreat, while Tuvok remained.

“There’s no way you could have consulted with the captain so quickly,” Seven accused, “You knew - “

“I facilitated,” Tuvok corrected, “It was a successful meeting for all concerned parties.”

Seven paused to consider this, and decided that she agreed.

“I have one request,” she said finally, “Please don’t tell the Doctor or Mr. Neelix. I wish to observe their responses myself. For… research purposes.”


End file.
